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Bigg Challenge We received an e-mail from Joe who recently agreed to serve on a committee of a local non-profit organization. He’s discovered that it’s a bigger commitment than he thought. So he wants to know what he should do to get out of it.

Bigg AdviceYou obviously had good intentions, Joe. Sometimes our circumstances change – health issues, new responsibilities, extra care for loved ones, or any number of things. Since there’s no mention of that in your e-mail, we’ll assume that it’s not the case here.5 options to reduce your responsibility to this commitment

#1 – QuitThis is the most cut-and-dry way to do it. However, keep in mind that it may damage your reputation. That’s why we don’t think it’s a very good option.#2 – Fulfill your commitmentWe think your best option is to suck it up and honor your commitment. Then don’t recommit at the end of your term. You’ll deliver on your promise. Your reputation will remain intact. Learn from this experience so you don’t repeat it.

#3 – Find someone to replace youWe think this is your next best option. If you know someone who is interested in the organization, talk to them to see if you can recruit them to take your place. You’ll leave with your reputation intact because you didn’t leave the group hanging.

#4 – Find someone who can help youCan someone assist you? For example, perhaps they could make phone calls or send e-mails for you. Delegate some of the work so the commitment is more in line with what you thought.

#5 – Can you be reassigned?Talk to chair person of the committee. Maybe you can “trade duties” with someone else on the committee who is looking for more responsibility. If your circumstances have changed, the chair person will probably be happy to help.

We’ve been in this situation ourselves, Joe. The bottom line is that you should try to minimize the damage to yourself and the organization.

2 tips to keep this situation from repeating itself#1 – Don’t commit on the spotMany people are very flattered when they are recruited to serve. They often say “yes” on the spot, without really giving it much thought.

To keep this from happening again – commit to never committing on the spot!

The U.S. government has laws to protect consumers – you get 72 hours to reconsider a purchase. That’s a good rule when someone asks you to give your time …

Give it a day or three!

Thank them for considering you but tell them you’ll need to think about it for a few days. #2 – When you say “yes” to anything, you’re saying “no” to something.A lot of people don’t think about this. As you’re considering giving your time for a new cause, think about what you’ll have to give up because we all only have 24 hours in a day!

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When we posted this article back in 2008, there was a source that equaled 615 tips for your business.

BIGG Thanks to to Tom Keller of Digital.com for letting us know that some links here were no longer working, due to changes to the SCORE website. But if you visit SCORE.org and click “Browse the Library” you’ll find a tool that lets you narrow your search results to find resources that best suit your situation. Smart!

These articles are short and easy-to-digest. There’s not a lot of detail in each article, but they make fantastic thought-starters.

In case you’re not familiar with SCORE, it is a non-profit organization aligned with the United States Small Business Administration. When you need help for your small business, and you don’t have money for high-priced consultants, check out SCORE, the “Counselors to America’s Small Business”.